Corn-husker.



No. 633,600. Patented Sept. 26, |899.

W. F. LILLIE.

CORN HUSKEB.

(Application Sled May 31, 1899.)

(No Model.)

mamma WW y Jlllomcys, I V// UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

XVILLIAIWI FRANKLIN LILLlE, OF HOLMESVILLE, NEBRASKA.

CORN-HUSKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,600, dated September 26, 1899.

Application filed May 31,1899. Serial No. 718,842. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FRANKLIN LILLIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holmesville, in the county of Gage and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Corn-Husker, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in corn-huskers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of corn-huskers and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient one adapted to open the husks more fully, whereby the ear of corn will drop more readily into the hand of the operator.

A further ob ject of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will relieve the wrist and the base of the thumb of pressure and enable the latter tovbe borne by the palm of the hand in such a manner that the thumb will be perfectly free to grasp an ear of corn in any position without being chafed or cramped.

Another object of the invention is to enable the parts to be readily adjusted to the hand of the operator and to provide a joint adjacent to the wrist that willpermitfree Wrist movement.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a corn-husker constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a hand. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cornhusker detached. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail sectional views on lines 3 3 and 4 4of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

l designates a lon gitudinally-disposed piece or plate curved and adapted to arch the hand at the base of the thumb, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings, whereby the base of the thumb is entirely relieved of pressure to permit the thumb to be perfectly free to grasp an ear of c orn in any position without liability of being chafed or cramped. The rear or inner portion 2 of the plate l is enlarged and offset laterally from the front portion 3, which is narrow, and the laterally-offset portion is provided With a hook 4, arranged as clearly shown in Fig. l of the accompanying drawings and adapted to open the husk and expose the ear of corn. The hook, which extends rearwardly or inwardly, by being arranged at the middle of the hand, as shown, is adapted to open the husks to a great degree, so that the ear will be fully exposed and will easily drop into the hand of the operator.

The front end of the plate l is bent at an angle to arrange it fiat against a transverse palm-plate 5, and in order to enable the hook to be adjusted to the middle of the hand the plate l is adj ustably secured to the transverse palm-plate by means of a headed stud or projection G, consisting of a rivet or other suitable fastening device and arranged within a slot 7, extending longitudinally of the palm piece or plate and provided at intervals with notches 8. The stud or projection, which is cut away at one side, is adapted to slide longitudinally of the slot 7 when the plate l is swung around to a position longitudinally of the palm piece or plate, and it may then be readily engaged with any one of the notches. The plate l is adapted to be rotated on the palm piece or plate when the device is removed from the hand of the operator, and when these partsare arranged at right angles to each other, as illustrated in Figs. l and 2, the narrow portion of the stud or projection is disposed transversely of the slot, and there is no liability of the front or outer end of the plate l slipping on the palm plate or piece.

The palm piece or plate has its ends riveted to a palm-strap 9, which is adjusted to the hand by means of a buckle and perforations, and the head of the projecting stud 6 is interposed between the inner face of the palm piece or plate and the strap, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.

The inner or rear end of the plate 1 is provided with a slot l0, and the narrow portion at the outer side of the slot forms a pintle and passes through an eye ll of a connecting- IOO piece 12, which is secured to a transverse wrist-piece 13. The wrist-piece, which is curved to conform to the congfiuration of the wrist, is adj usted to the same by a wide strap 14, and it is provided with a heavy projection or stud 15, which is arranged in a slot 16 of the connecting-piece, whereby the latter is capable of a limited longitudinal adjustment. The hinge-joint between the connecting-piece and the plate 1 and the pivotal and sliding movement of the connecting piece on the wrist-piece provides for a perfectly free wrist movement in any direction, and by arching or curving the longitudinal plate 1 over the hand at the base of the thumb all of the pressure is borne by the palm of the hand, and the thumb and wrist are perfectly free to move in any direction and will not be chafed or cramped by the device. The plate 1 swings inwardly and outwardly on the pintle formed by the slot 10, andit swings transversely in a plane at right angles to the said inward-andoutward movement on the pivot formed by the heavy projection or stud 15. The palm- `strap is narrow, and the wrist-strap, which is wide, is preferably provided with a pair of buckles and a pair of tongues, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The invention has the following advantages: The device, which is simple and inexpensive in construction, possesses great strength and durability and is adapted to be adjusted to iit the hand of the wearer and may be used with or without a glove, as desired,

The plate or piece which carries the hook for' engaging the husk is curved or arched over the hand at the base of the thumb for the double purpose of leaving the thumb perfectly free to grasp an ear of corn and to relieve it and the wrist of pressure and to place the latter on the palm of the hand. The plate or piece 1 is also adjustable transversely of the hand to arrange the hook in proper position, and the hinge-joint and the sliding and pivotal connection at the inner or rear end of the plate or piece 1 provides for a perfectly free wrist movement, and the thumb and Wrist may be moved in any direction without being chafed or cramped by the device. The adjustment of the front end of the plate or hook 1 is effected when such part is arranged longitudinally of the palm piece or plate, and when these parts are arranged at right angles to each other when the device is in use there is no liability of the stud or projection accidentally slipping from one notch to another. By employing a wide hook and by arranging it at the middle of the hand the device is adapted to open the husks sufcient-ly wide to cause the ear of corn to drop readily into the hand of the operator.

I desire it to be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, such as constructing the hook of any width and forming it integral with or separate from the plate 1.

What is claimed is- 1. A device of the class described comprising transversely-disposed wrist and palm pieces, and a longitudinally-disposed plate or piece arched to clear the hand at the base of the thumb and connected to the said pieces and provided at its inner or rear end with a flexible joint or connection arranged to permit the plate or piece to swing transversely and also inwardly and outwardly, whereby a free wrist movement is obtained, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described comprising the transversely-disposed palm and wrist pieces, and the longitudinally-disposed plate or piece arched to clear the hand at the base of the thumb and carrying a hook, said longitudinal plate or piece being adjustably connected to the palm-piece and having a flexible connection with the wrist-piece, adapted to permit a free wrist movement, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising the wrist and palm pieces designed to be arranged transversely of a hand, the longitudinalplate or piece provided with a hook and connected at its front end to the palmpiece, and the connecting-piece hinged to the rear end of the longitudinal plate or piece and pivoted to the wrist-piece, whereby the longitudinal plate or piece is adapted to swing inward and outward and also transversely, substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising the transversely-disposed wrist and palm pieces, the longitudinal plate or piece connected to the palm-piece and carrying a hook, a plate or connecting-piece hinged to the rear end of the longitudinal plate or piece and provided with a slot, and a pivot arranged in the slot and mounted on the wrist-piece, substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described comprising a transversely-disposed palm-piece provided with a slot and having notches arranged at intervals at one side of the slot, a longitudinally-disposed plate or piece having a headed stud or projection arranged in the said slot and cut away at one side, whereby it is adapted to be adjusted longitudinally of the slot when the longitudinal plate or piece is arranged in alinement with the palm-piece and is locked against such movement when arranged at right angles to the palm-piece, and a wrist-piece connected with the rear end of the longitudinal plate or piece, substantially as described.

6. A device of the class described comprising a longitudinal plate having a palm-piece disposed transversely of the said plate and adj ustably connected with the same, whereby the hook may be adjusted to the middle of IOO IIO

the hand, a Wrist-piece, flexibly connected my own I have hereto affixed my signature with lche rear end of the longitudinal plate to in the presence of tWo witnesses. pei-mit a free Wrist movement, and straps sel cured to the palm andwrist pieces and adapted WILLIAM FRANKLIN LHLIE' 5 to adj usb the device to the hand of the wearer, XVibnesses:

substantially as described. F. H. I-IOWEY,

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as J. L. ANDERSON. 

